Chiemelie Ezeobi
A traffic robber, who was simply identified as Sodiq, recently jumped to his death to evade arrest at Eko Bridge, where he and his accomplice had gone to rob motorists.
After the police arrested the accomplice, Toheeb Abolaji, they recovered a Spyder Victor pistol, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, from him.
Parading the suspect at the Police Officers Mess in Ikeja yesterday, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, said they are studying the gun to know how it came into the country as it’s the first of kind that has ever been recovered.
The Spyder Victor Pistol is rare because it emits both gas and pellets and it’s not rampant.
The CP added that it was quite unfortunate that the prime suspect jumped to his death when he tried to evade police arrest.
Giving further insight into the matter, he said based on the concern raised by Largos residents on the activities of traffic robbers, he had deployed men of the command to different flash points.
He said unfortunately on Wednesday August 30, on Eko bridge two traffic robbers were seen but one evaded arrest and jumped to his death..
On the recovered pistol he said: “The most unique thing about this is not just the arrested suspect, but recovery of this weapon from them called ‘Spyder Victor’ pistol.
“This is strange, it is a unique weapon we are working currently to get to the root of this weapon. They were two of the suspect arrested and the other in an attempt to evade the police onslaught essentially jumped to death, the other suspect arrested is aiding the police investigation and recovered some of the cartridges.
“I have not never seen this model of before now, we are going to investigate the source and how they got it. The two suspects were arrested around 9pm when they went out to rob and immediately we received the information our men were after them. The pistol is a unique one.”
Meanwhile, Abolaji, aged 22, said it was his friend Sodiq who came to call him and gave him cutlass for the operation, adding that he knew nothing about the pistol since it was Sodiq who brought the ‘Spyder Victor’ pistol and jumped to death when he saw policemen.
He said: “He gave me cutlass and told me we are going to Eko bridge to make money. I was surprised when he suddenly brought out gun, I thought it was only cutlass we are using.
“We were yet to start what we went to do on the Eko bridge when Policemen came and started chasing us. It was in the process Sodiq abandoned the pistol and jumped down from the bridge.
“This is the first time I am going on such operation, it was cutlass he gave me to hold. Sincerely Sodiq told me we should go and rob those who are returning from work but I never knew he has such gun.”
